An Onslow County man was found guilty Wednesday of several sex crimes against children, officials stated.

DAILY NEWS STAFF

An Onslow County man was found guilty Wednesday of several sex crimes against children, officials stated.

Eugene McKenzie, 44, was found guilty of two counts of firstdegree sexual offense against a victim less than 13, three counts of first-degree sexual offense against a victim who is 13-15, four counts of felonious child abuse by a sexual act and six counts of indecent liberties with a child, according to a press release from Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee.

The maximum he could serve for all offenses is approximately 61 years in prison.

Superior Court Judge Charles H. Henry consolidated the counts into three separate prison terms, each to run at the expiration of the other.

McKenzie will serve a minimum of 288 months and a maximum of 355 months on the two consolidated counts of first degree sexual offense against a victim less than 13.

Once that term expires, he will serve a minimum of 276 months and a maximum of 341 months on the three consolidated counts of first degree sexual offense against a victim 13-15.

Once that term expires, he will serve the last term of a minimum of 29 months and a maximum of 44 months on the 10 consolidated counts of felony child abuse by a sexual act and indecent liberties with a child.

The press release stated that at the trial, evidence demonstrated that the defendant had repeatedly molested the victim over a multi-year span, “as long as I can remember,” according to the victim’s testimony.

McKenzie’s DNA was found on a pillowcase recovered from the victim’s room, according to the press release, and the defendant wrote letters while awaiting trial that made admissions of some of the acts charged.

As Detective John Getty of the Onslow County Sheriff ’s Office investigated the case, he found several other young girls who stated they had been molested by the defendant, spanning back as far as 1997.

The release stated that those witnesses testified at McKenzie’s trial.

“Due to the actions of this defendant, he received a lengthy active sentence of a minimum of approximately 49 years in the North Carolina Department of Correction,” Lee stated.

“The defendant’s criminal actions placed him in prison, and it is hoped that the jury’s verdicts and the active prison sentence will help provide some degree of closure and sense of justice for the victims.”